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The Florida Bar Launches Educational Initiative to Help Floridians Navigate Life’s Legal Moments

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Bar today announced the launch of Life’s Legal Moments, a new educational initiative to help Floridians understand when and how to access legal counsel – offering valuable guidance on navigating critical moments when life moments necessitate retaining counsel to evaluate and help handle matters so Floridians can protect themselves and their interests.

Spearheaded by Florida Bar President Gary Lesser, the Life’s Legal Moments initiative was developed after a June 2022 survey found that three in four Floridians consider the state’s legal system difficult to navigate. The initiative is designed to help Floridians understand the potential value attorneys offer as trusted legal advisors during particularly complex and challenging life events.

Those major moments of life may include real estate transactions, drafting a will, handling employment disputes, dealing with an insurance claim, filing for divorce, starting a business, obtaining guardianship for a loved one, and much more.

The Life’s Legal Moments initiative includes a step-by-step guide on how to evaluate and hire a lawyer, informative animated videos, and educational tools for navigating the legal system in general.

“Floridians know that hiring a lawyer for legal matters will result in better outcomes –– but for many reasons,  some choose to go it alone,” said Lesser. “That’s why the Life’s Legal Moments initiative was created. It explains how hiring a lawyer can actually allow someone to protect themselves and their family’s interests more effectively and provides helpful information to Floridians encountering the legal system for the first time.”

In reality, having a lawyer help handle legal matters leads to much higher satisfaction in most situations involving the law. According to that June 2022 survey, Floridians who engaged a lawyer for a civil legal issue involving divorce or custody for example, were 88% more satisfied with the outcome than those who represented themselves.

In that same survey, 91% of respondents said that retaining a lawyer would help protect their rights or interests; 84% believe it would reduce the stress of dealing with a legal issue; and 84% said hiring a lawyer would lead to a better or more equitable outcome.

“We all know how risky it can be to mess with your home’s wiring –– that’s why you hire a skilled electrician to do the job. It’s the same reason we take our car to a mechanic rather than attempting DIY car repairs,” said Lesser. “Matters of the law also carry significant stakes, and it’s not worth the risk to you and your family to try to navigate these complex processes alone.”

Civil legal cases typically involve nearly 200 tasks, which can be especially challenging to navigate for self-represented litigants. From finding the right court or interpreting the law to filing motions, compiling evidence, negotiating a settlement, and much more, relying on the guidance of a trained and experienced legal counselor can save more than just time and stress –– it can also prevent costly mistakes.

For more information on the Life’s Legal Moments initiative, please visit FloridaLawyersCanHelp.com